Council salary increase proposed

Compensation would more than double under recommendation

Salaries for City Council members and the mayor would more than double under a proposal recommended Monday by a committee reviewing the city charter.

The city's charter currently lists council members' yearly compensation at $6,000, with the mayor receiving $9,000. Under this proposal, the members would receive $12,500 and the mayor $18,750.

That recommendation and others eventually will be considered by the City Council, which may forward them to voters in a charter amendment election, the earliest of which would be November 2009.

The compensation increase received unanimous approval from the seven committee members present. Two were absent.

If approved by the council and the voters, the salary increase would go into effect for the council elected after the charter amendment election.

Committee Chairman Bob White said the salaries were last adjusted 12 years ago.

"I think we are all in agreement that it's time to do something about it," he said.

The group also recommended wording to indicate council members' health insurance would be paid from this compensation.

Including that addresses an issue currently before the 13th Court of Appeals.

Two members of the Corpus Christi Taxpayers Association, Joe O'Brien and Jack Gordy, filed suit against the city in September, alleging that providing health insurance to council members is a violation of the charter that limits compensation at the $6,000 and $9,000 amounts.

District Judge Nanette Hasette ruled in April that the city should stop paying health insurance premiums for council members, finding those benefits to be in excess of the compensation listed in the city's charter.

The city, which argued the charter didn't set a limit to compensation, is appealing the case, and council members remain eligible for insurance.

The city currently offers to cover a share of members' insurance premium as is done for city employees, through twice monthly installments ranging from $128 for a single person to $254 for a family.

But, under this proposal, council members who opt for the health insurance must pay the entire premium.

"The city no longer pays any part of it," White said.

In an effort to offset that, White said he factored in what council members were getting from the city to cover health insurance when considering salary increases.

This move also makes compensation the same for all council members regardless of whether they receive health insurance.

The group may still consider a way to address future salary increases without going through the charter review and amendment election.

Committee member Bill Kopecky suggested tying any future increases to increases for district judges' salaries, which are regularly reviewed through the state Legislature.

The group meets next Aug. 4 and will discuss the re-institution of an internal auditor position.